Airlines relax a bit on cell phone use

Relations were so strained between cell-phone talkers and their involuntary audiences aboard Amtrak trains two years ago that the railroad began designating "quiet cars" to keep the peace.

Now, cellular phones are beginning to find limited acceptance in another form of public transportation: commercial airliners.

At least three carriers, American Airlines, Continental Airlines and, most recently, JetBlue Airways, have begun allowing passengers to make calls during that sometimes interminable period between when the wheels touch down at the destination and when the passenger actually escapes into the jetway.

For the foreseeable future, though, federal regulations will keep the ears of airborne airline passengers safe from cell-phone chatter, free to enjoy the sounds of engines, cockpit crew excuses for why the flight is late and squawking children.

Two agencies--the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission--ban cell-phone use in aircraft during the period from when the plane's doors are closed for departure to when it lands at the end of the trip, leaving to the airlines' discretion the periods before the doors are closed and after the wheels touch down.

The FAA, whose ban includes other wireless communications gadgets, is worried about interference with aircraft navigation aids, particularly those on the ground that send radio signals to planes to help pilots stay on course. Spokeswoman Alison Duquette says there are no documented incidents of such interference from passenger-carried devices, but "we feel there is a potential for a problem, so we don't allow them."

Seatback phones installed by many airlines for use by passengers differ technically and don't pose a threat, experts say, but they're expensive to use and not very popular. Beginning last month, United Airlines passengers have been offered the ability to plug their laptops into onboard Verizon Airfones to send and receive e-mail.

The FCC bans airborne use of cell phones because a phone broadcasting from 35,000 feet can reach many cell phone towers.

American, Continental and JetBlue say they relaxed their rules in response to customers' desires.

Further liberalization could hinge on the findings of a study begun recently by a little-known non-profit group based in Washington, RTCA Inc., which advises government agencies on aviation electronics matters. It was retained by the FAA to examine the potential safety hazards of cell phones.